How to make Free Voice Call from Web browser

I talked about Mobile VoIP calling options in one of my earlier post. While writing this article I had some thoughts about Web based voice calling, how this is achieved and some of the niche players ruling the roost. Web based telephony has become one of the hottest technology to embrace web from a voice perspective. Gone are those days where in u need a telephone to initiate voice conversation. Technology has evolved over the years and especially VoIP has made it easy to achieve lots of innovation in the Web Telephony arena. Though, VoIP is not limited to Web interface alone, but the technology has made this possible. Initiating voice conversation’s using the Web interface is termed as Web telephony. Voice communication using internet was made popular by some of the IM soft client like Skype, Yahoo, Msn, Gtalk etc. Nonetheless, these software’s mandate a soft client download and install for making voice calls. In addition, some of the IM soft clients don’t support calling PSTN/Mobile numbers.

So let’s look at some of the different ways of initiating voice calls from Web browser
• Web call through model
• Web call back model

Web call through model
Voice Calls can be originated from web browser, voice packets traverse through the internet. If the user calls a sip client, then the call terminates directly to the sip client using either third-party vendor proxy or publicly available server. If the user calls a landline or mobile phone, voice packets reach the third-party server through internet. However, the third-party server connects to the landline/mobile phone using the traditional operator’s network.

Advantages of this model:
• Free voice call, if calling a sip client or Instant Messenger clients. Cheaper voice calls, if calling landline or mobile. In fact, Earthcaller supports free voice calls from web to any phone in USA. Cool Deal.
• Cheap International calls. No need to carry a phone. All you need is Web with internet connection and mic for speaking.

Disadvantages:
• Need to download third-party plug-in for browsers to support call signalling and voice packet transmission. ( Some of the startups like flashphone and tringme support voice calling with no plug-in downloads)
• Need a microphone for two way voice conversation

Here are some of the companies that support the above calling model. Go ahead and use them for free/cheap voice calling.
GizmoCall,FlashPhone,TringMe,EarthCaller

Web call back model
In this calling model, User types in his number and the destination number to call. Third-party server shall connect the user and the destination number. Pretty easy to use the service compared to call-through model. Very handy, if calling international numbers.

Advantages of this model:
• Call any number from anywhere.
• No need to install third-party plug-in.
• Don’t need a long distance or international plan with the operator. Just need an account with the third-party company to call any number on the planet.
• Very easy to call from Web Browser.

Here are some of the companies that support the above calling model. Go ahead and use them for free/cheap voice calling.
Jajah,RakWeb,VoipBuster,Jaduka dukadial

Jajah is one of the pioneers in the above calling model. These were the guys who popularized Web based callback model.

So, I guess Web is evolving as a communication platform. Be it social networking communication or enterprise, Web is sure to play a bigger role in the coming future. Apparently, Web 2.0 has caved in a different niche for communication applications.